Same-sex marriage becomes legal in D.C.

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Same-sex couples can start applying for marriage licenses in Washington.

At least 16 couples were waiting at a courthouse Wednesday for the city’s marriage bureau to open at 8:30 a.m. EST. Court officials have been told to expect up to 200 people.

Forty-one-year-old Sinjoyla Townsend and her partner of 12 years, 47-year-old Angelisa Young, claimed the first spot in line just after 6 a.m. Young says it’s like waking up on Christmas morning.

Washington is now the sixth place in the nation where gay marriages can take place. Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont also issue licenses to same-sex couples.

Because of a mandatory waiting period, couples won’t actually be able to marry in the District of Columbia until March 9.

The gay marriage law was introduced in the 13-member D.C. Council in October and had near-unanimous support from the beginning. The bill passed and Mayor Adrian M. Fenty signed it in December, but because Washington is a federal district, the law had to undergo a congressional review period that expired Tuesday.

Opponents, however, are still attempting to overturn the bill in court.

-- Associated Press